Malacanang defended the now-viral video of President Rodrigo Duterte showing his attempt to touch his house helper who brought him a cake on his birthday.
In a media briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the President had no malice and it was just a display of Duterte’s playfulness.
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In the said video, Duterte was seen blowing the candle on top of a rice cake. Another woman approached him with another cake and the President was seen attempting to touch the lower part of her body.
“Now, ‘yung sinasabi mong panghihipo eh matagal na niyang kasambahay ‘yun. Alam mo naman talagang palabiro ang Presidente pero wala pong malisya ‘yun dahil nakaharap naman po si Ma’am Honeylet,” Roque said.
“Kung may magrereklamo, dapat ‘yung kasama niya sa bahay. ‘Yun lang po iyon,” he added.
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The palace official also responded if it’s wrong to call out the President’s actions towards the maid.
“Wala pong control ang Presidente dyan lalo na doon sa dating nagpupula, expected po yan. Pero kung sasabihin ninyo na tama ba o mali ang nangyari, ang konteksto po niyan, malapit po ang relasyon ng Presidente, nakikipagbiruan sa kanyang kaarawan so wala pong masama dyan,” he said. (TDT)
